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* Royal Mail rises on revenue jump
* Ted Baker falls on poor results
* FCA says 40% of Britons face financial problems
* FTSE 100 up 0.1%, FTSE 250 adds 0.1%
(Updates to market close)
By Shashank Nayar and Shivani Kumaresan
Feb 11 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 rose on Thursday as
upbeat earnings outlooks and dividend hikes from soft drink
bottler Coca-Cola HBC and information group Relx boosted
investors' hopes for a speedy economic recovery.
Coca-Cola HBC jumped 4.6% to the top of the
blue-chip index after raising its dividend and saying it expects
2021 revenue to bounce back strongly as at-home demand cushions
a hit to consumption in hotels and restaurants.
European information business provider Relx was also
among the biggest gainers on the index, up 2.9% after it said
it planned to raise its dividend by 3%.
The FTSE rose 0.1% with industrial stocks such as
Intertek Group Plc and Ashtead Group plc
leading gains.
The mid-cap index also inched up 0.1%.
"Constant liquidity infusion by central banks is continuing
to help support equities, in addition to the hope and optimism
among investors that the vaccine roll-outs will help the economy
get back on track," said Keith Temperton, sales trader at Forte
Securities.
Weighing on sentiment was a sharp drop in oil heavyweights
with BP and Royal Dutch Shell falling 0.5% and
2.2% respectively as oil prices slumped on renewed demand
concerns
A raft of global stimulus has helped the FTSE 100 rebound
nearly 30% from a coronavirus-induced crash in March 2020, but
the index is still about 15% below its highest level last year,
underperforming its European and U.S. peers.
More than 40 percent of Britons are struggling financially
or suffering poor health, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority
said.
“This is unsurprising given the health, lifestyle and
financial impact the pandemic has had on people’s lives, but
nonetheless remains seriously worrying," said Tom Selby, senior
analyst at AJ Bell.
Retailer Ted Baker plunged 9.0% after reporting a
47% fall in fourth-quarter revenue, as stores in Britain were
shut during the latest lockdown and due to weak demand during
the Christmas season.
Royal Mail rose 4.9% after its quarterly revenue
jumped 20%, while the company also forecast an annual profit of
more than 500 million pounds ($692.20 million).
(Reporting by Shashank Nayar and Shivani Kumaresan in
Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel and Shounak Dasgupta and
Kirsten Donovan)
